The Rise and Fall of Tomclan
by Ziggy05
Summary: Tomclan operates the same as any other clan... they worship starclan, have ranks, morals and customs, etc. But there is one thing that makes them different- they are all toms, and every she-cat is enslaved to them. This is a perfect balance and no cat has questioned that this makes them stronger or more powerful... until now. (rating may change in future)
1. Characters

**Explanation of the ranks, etc:**

**In this clan, she-cats are slaves and used only for toys and reproduction and thus cats are divided up into two main ranks: toms and she-cats. Toms are trained for medicinal and fighting purposes and thus there is no medicine cat either. Leader mates are she-cats technically but have *better* freedom then the other she-cats and are like female 'assistant leaders'. Assistant leaders are like deputies only there can be up to five of them serving. When the leader dies/retires, the current leader chooses a leader or the assistant leaders vote for the next cat. If there are no assistant leaders, then the rest of the clan votes on the next leader. Apprentices can only be boys, due to the nature of Tomclan but kits can be either gender. Despite their gender they are all kept in the nursery and female kits are moved to the slave pit when they become the age of apprentices. Some she-kits are even killed if the toms decide that the she-cats are overpopulating the pit. She-cats, even when old do not go to the elders den. **

* * *

**Kits**

Lightkit- Brownish, copper eyes and orange striped pelt.

Darknesskit- Bright orang-ey eyes and grey pelt with black stripes.

**She-cats**

Carvedthroat- Orang-ey eyes and black pelt with black spots and a torn throat.

GlacierFoot- Light blue eyes and very light grey pelt.

Starsong- Black she-cat with vivid green eyes, white tipped ears and tail and white spots.

Tempestlight- Light grey pelt with almost black grey spots and very blue eyes.

RiverSong- Snow white cat with blind ice blue eyes.

Shadowsong- Mixed grey and white pelt with black stripes in some places and blue eyes.

SolarFur- Bright golden pelt and green eyes.

Sombre- Dark grey pelt with black stripes and vivid orange eyes.

EmeraldHeart- Snow white pelt and stunning green eyes.

Jayrose- Mostly white and brown calico dappled with black and greyish eyes.

Cowgirl- Dusty brown tabby with white tail tip and white paws.

Wispsong- White cat with long ears and yellow eyes.

Lilac- White with sea-blue eyes.

Iacet- Wheaten fur with a black stripe down her spine and dark amber eyes.

Eternalwish- Silvery grey with green eyes.

**Toms**

Legendgaze- Blinding white pelt with vivid yellow eyes.

Liongaze- Lion-coloured pelt and pale yellow eyes.

ShadedGlare- Dark grey with piercing yellow eyes.

Malice- Pitch black pelt with copper-red eyes.

Scarbe- Black with amber eyes.

Dragontooth- Grey tabby with darker stripes and hazel eyes.

Cloudfeather- Silver chincilla tabby with green eyes and bluish paws.

Foxshadow- A red cat strongly dappled with black, a light brown head and golden eyes.

Jaggedfrost- Siberian manx mix pelt with pale blue eyes.

Junipertree- Silver eyes and dark brown speckled pelt with lighter underbelly.

Chestnutnose- Chest nut pelt with hazel eyes and a white stripe down the forehead.

Quickfire- White and ginger with amber coloured eyes and white spots.

**Assistant leaders**

Domino- Pitch black with golden eyes.

Luke- Stone grey pelt and sea blue eyes.

Cody- A light brown tabby.

**Leader's Mates**

Lilacpool- Plain white pelt and blue eyes.

Mossfern- Light brown bengal cat with one yellow and one green eye.

Fernpelt- Silver with dark stripes, yellow eyes and light grey spots.

**Elders**

Silentbreeze- Light grey with sea blue eyes.

**Apprentices**

Sunpaw- Golden pelt and yellow eyes.

Applepaw- Brown and ginger with light green eyes.

**Leader**

Sulfurstar- Rich golden/sulfur coloured cat with pale brown-y gold-y eyes.


	2. Prologue

Sulfurstar needed a she-cat do to a task for him. He slid down the tunnel to the cage where they stuffed all their she-cat slaves and scanned the perimeter. He didn't really care who it was, on one exception- they had to be pretty. That was vital. For whatever reason, Sulfurstar couldn't bear to watch over ugly she-cats for hours on end.

His eyes fell on Starsong and he raised an eyebrow. She was the prettiest face of the lot at the moment but despite being slightly pretty she was not beautiful. He knew the other she-cats must have been off with the other toms and his pet peeve was not significant enough to bother them. "You." He barked. "Come with me."

"Yes, Sulfurstar." Starsong said obediently. Sulfurstar unlocked and swung open the iron door and closed it behind Starsong.

"Put this on," he said to her. He handed her a blind fold. Starsong put it on unquestioningly.

He took her through the main entrance hall and forcefully tossed her into the work ranch. The work ranch was an outdoor area around the back. It was large and surrounded by a tall thick thorn wall that had taken the she-cats about two decades to complete. The ground was stone, dusted lightly with sand and plenty of materials rested against the cave wall at the she-cat's disposal. "I need you to make me and my toms nests." He told her. "And you and your she-cats."

"Ok." Starsong said emotionlessly. Sulfurstar nodded and stood back to observe her. He had ordered that the she cats have nests because of all the complaints he got from Toms- they were sick of having to sleep with she-cats who had to sleep on their dirt and on the ground and cats who did their dirt wherever they wanted.

Sulfurstar watched silently as Starsong grabbed two vines and weaved them together. He smirked inwardly. Only she-cats appeared to enjoy this, but it wasn't brave at all and did not compare to winning a fight or catching your first prey. "Done." Starsong called later.

The first thing Sulfurstar noted was that she had made already made more nests. He hadn't tested his yet and he knew that she might need to remake it, thus having to destroy the other nests too. "Other she-cats need to use those materials too, you know." He hissed. He pawed at his own nest and then laid down in it. "It passes the structural integrity test." He noted. The comfort was... decent, but what about when he turned? When he turned, the hay beneath and to the side of him prickled him. He sat up calmly, thinking about how he didn't like the design much, either.

"Remake it," he said. "Try a cosy bowl shape with more soft material and a harder layer on the outside... but not too hard. And make sure that there is plenty of room on the inside despite being cosy and tuck away every strand of hay so that it doesn't cut through the softer inside and prickle me..." He said.

"Picky, picky picky," Starsong mumbled under her breath but she did as he asked. Feeling around the nests with her paws she added more moss and curved the nest into a bowl shape. She weaved some vines together and threaded grass through the vines, then evened out the moss where the toms head was more likely to rest.

Liongaze observed from just outside the entrance. He chuckled to himself. Haha, Sulfurstar was always doing this. He found it amusing. Then again, he found a lot of things amusing.

I hope he likes it this time... I'm not in the mood to be any toms entertainment today. Starsong thought to herself in exhaustion.

Sulfurstar lay down in the nest. It teetered dangerously, like an egg with its round bottom. "Its good." He commented. "Just flatten out the bottom and you may make more. You can use your first design for your she-cat friends if you want."

"Yes." Starsong murmured. She quickly flattened out the bottom so that the nest would not rock and stood up tall and licked a paw. "That should do it. And I will." For some reason she suddenly felt bold. "At least YOU get to see the sun."

Sulfurstar paused, his back to her. "The sun... is right above you." He growled. "I suggest you enjoy its heat if not its sight before you go back into your dark home."


	3. Chapter 1

"You know what I mean!" Starsong almost hissed again. She was breathing heavily. The sun... she thought. How I long to run with the rats, free and safe.

Sulfurstar could detect her muscles tense but he said nothing. He did not approve of this cat's boldness at all. He was almost sure that she was one of the cats that he had heard talking of a rebellion a while back but he didn't mention that.

Legendgaze went straight from trying to be calm to becoming aggravated again. The white tom stood up, frightening some she-cats close to him. Even Carvedthroat moved realizing that he was actually serious. If this cat was rebelling now and standing up for herself then the other she-cats would believe they could do the same. He knew just as well as the leader did that if this happened, everything would be out of order. So he padded forth, just in case; staring the other she-cat down.

Sulfurstar swiped at Legendgaze, claws sheathed, just going for a flick on the ear. Leave it, his look said. We'll discuss this later.

Starsong breathed deeply, calming herself down. There was nothing she could do. She sat there numbly, looking up at the sky. She missed her old clan. She missed the carefree life that she had had before. She sighed. Now she actually did feel like the cat she portrayed. Her whole aura changed; she slumped and lost her energy.

The white tom Legendgaze stared at Sulfurstar for a moment but he contained himself. A sigh was released as well as, "very well, I will see to it." He began to pad away, wondering what he could do today. He paused and looked at Sulfurstar. "Do you have any work for me? I do not intend on sitting around all day."

Sulfurstar nodded to Legendgaze and glared down Starsong. She-cats were spoiled. Never could have enough. He had gone to the trouble of making sure that the clan understood they needed nests- well, most of them had agreed from the start but some stubborn ones had been a little annoying- and he was going to expand their den so they weren't all sweaty and sick. His warriors got bad diseases from them sometimes, including ones that had been fatal.

Starsong got to her paws. She had lost some fight, but not much and she was angry and fustrated. Why could toms see that they were just as good as them?

"Come with me," he gestured to Legendgaze to follow him and also to Starsong. "We'll all discuss things in my room. Leave your nests here."

Starsong padded after him, so did Legendgaze. Starsong's tail was straight up and she carried her head high. She was the leaders daughter! How dare they? Sure, maybe not of this clan, but of her old one.

Sulfurstar put the blind fold on her and led her to his room. Now they could have the conversation blind. It was funny, really. He sat Starsong down and waited for Legendgaze. "So, Starsong," he began. "I would like to have a little talk with you."

"Go ahead." Starsong spat. "Make an example of me. I'm tired of pretending! I was once a proud cat. A fierce cat! Barely any cat in my old clan could beat me. Then one day I was out on patrol and out numbered... By your stupid toms! Even if it is with the cats of Starclan, I WILL run free! I am not a cat who sits around expected to work- I am a WARRIOR. I know- you loathe me. Your going to say I expect and want to much. Well maybe I do! But I can hunt and fight well and in my old clan, I was respected for it! I am my leader's DAUGHTER for GOODNESS SAKE!" She yowled.

Sulfurstar didn't flinch. In fact, he looked quite amused. "That may be so..." He paused. "But... Its just the truth that Tom's are stronger. Now hear me out," he growled fiercely. "There was a time when the she-cats ruled us. They treated us like dirt- worse then we treat you. They were lazy, made us do EVERYTHING. Hunt, fight, create... all they did was lounge around and be fed from OUR laboring paws. So we rebelled. They had no training, while us, fed by years of labor easily crushed them." Sulfurstar grimaced. "And I don't care if your the 'leaders daughter'. You think that makes you better? Your a she-cat, a cat, just the same as all of us. I don't care if you were respected then- your not now. So shape up or I WILL kill you. Don't think I won't. Because YOU maybe a leaders daughter-" he paused for emphasis. "But I AM a leader."

"Not ALL she cats are like that!" Starsong hissed back. "I NEVER back down. In fact, you want to fight? Lets do it right here then, here and now. Your just as bad as-" She broke off.

Legendgaze peeked his head through the door. He frowned. Sulfurstar gave him a brushing-off look and he ducked away. This was getting personal. "As WHO?" He spat. "You want to fight, she-kitty? Come on then. Take a shot at me. First cat to surrender loses."

Starsong grinned. Finally a challenge, she thought. "I'm stronger then most she-cats." She lunged at him. "Sorry. I forgot to warn you."

Sulfurstar ducked to the side. "A basic, basic move." He purred. "Come on. Are you really that naive that you think a leader won't know a move learnt in APPRENTICESHIP?"

Starsong hissed. "Your good, I'll give you that." She began to calculate his next move. She crouched, waiting to see what he would do. She grinned. "Aren't you gonna fight back?"

Sulfurstar smirked. "My pleasure." He purred. He sat back only on his haunches and deceptively focused on her shoulder, a typical place for cats to attack. This move was unique to him from what he knew and he trained it hard, learning where any cats body part was at any given time and eventually mastering it.

Starsong smirked. She knew he was aiming for her shoulder. Her mother had taught her that when she had been but a kit!

Sulfurstar released his haunches but instead of springing he slid, lightning fast under her chest and bit and clawed at her legs and fragile stomach.

Starsong fell to the ground, on top of him. Inside she was laughing, yet Sulfurstar couldn't have cared less about being flattened. He aimed to rake his claws along her sides, deeply. The only way to avoid this move was to move off him, this he knew. Unless this cat wanted to teach him something he didn't know...?

"Oh, you don't know this move?" Starsong sounded a little bit surprised. "Oh thats right. Your not from my clan... Ah well." She spat, pinning his legs down. She slashed his shoulder and along his nose with her sharp claws and then paused, wondering if she should let him go or get revenge.

Sulfurstar glared. His nose stung but he managed to moe his shoulder at the last moment. "Nice... for a she-cat." He grunted. He still had one last trick up his sleeve. But... she needed to slash at him again.

Starsong appeared to smell something fishy however, because instead she raked her claws down his stomach and put more weight on him. "Don't even think about it..." She hissed, her eyes blazing.

Sulfurstar grit his teeth. He wasn't about to give up, however. "I have my little tricks." He smiled. "Don't even think about it yourself." Empty words. He knew he was in a pickle here. But then he remembered a move, granted only to the leaders of Tomclan. It was an ancient, powerful move and he knew it would work.

He concentrated deeply and in time felt the energy of starclan flowing through him and then... he released. A strange blue explosion of light wrapped around him and his eyes turned marbly and white. All he could feel was terrible agony but it worked. It blew Starsong right off him and the evil she-cat was burst off him. She hit the wall and slid down, weakened devastatingly by the blast.

She looked at him with a new respect. "I might respect you more now... But I haven't surrendered!" She warned. She unsheathed her claws once again and, pushing her tiredness aside stumbled forward a little stiffly.

"Now its back to square one. We are both exhausted, bruised and cut." Sulfurstar laughed. "I handed you the first move last time. Now its MY turn to strike. Come on. You KNOW you want to surrender. You KNOW I'm going to win this in the end, if it means jailing you up and killing you and all the trouble makers LIKE you." He did a spin through the hair and aimed to slam dunk onto her back, cracking or breaking her spine.

Starsong moved to the side. She had a bored expression on her face. "Do you have no sense of honor?" She mumbled. "Obviously you need your 'loyal' toms to help you defeat me, rather then do it yourself. Thats it, isn't it? How would you feel if your entire clan was destroyed by she-cats? I know how you'd feel. Honestly, this clan is very... one sided. Single minded. Thats why its not going anywhere. And as for bruising and cuts, your a fool for actually caring about them!" She hissed. "If I had not seen you fight I would have thought you WEAK."

"You can't even tell when I'm being sarcastic? Are all she-cats like that? Moron." Retorted Sulfurstar. "And... please define 'honourably'. I can see it in your eyes. You want revenge. For what... I am not sure. I however would never consider revenge. The only reason I am fighting you is so that my toms don't need to feel the humiliation of being defeated by a SHE-CAT. So come on. Attack me already. If your so BRAVE."

Starsong sighed. She seemed to have lost some energy. "Whats the point? I just want to get out of here."

"Well, I don't see why you blame me." Sulfurstar growled. "My warriors said they found you patrolling on our territory, just over the border. They took you back as prisoner."

"Well what if I told you I came for help?! That's why I want to get back. I NEED to get back. You can't see that yet?" She hissed, true worry showing in her eyes.

Sulfurstar relaxed his hackles a bit. He was suspicious. "Why?" He growled. "You'll tell me here and now."

"Fine... You want the truth?" Starsong took a deep breath. "You see, a little while ago some dark forest cats attacked our clan. We were growing. There were 20 of us. But in that battle, our numbers were reduced to 13. My mother, our medicine cat, the elders and a few of our warriors died- and then, some of us betrayed us. My sister and my two brothers and our deputy." She sighed. "I told them I had come to kill a tom. They captured me and took me here and when I saw what the she-cats were like I... decided to rebel. Are you happy?" She spat.

Sulfurstar raised his eyes. "But what did you expect of our warriors? You come into our territory and say your there to... 'kill a tom?' Its practically a death sentence!" He said, slightly amused. "But... How do I know your telling the truth?" He became serious.

"Well I was going to say- My clan needs help' but they pressed down my windpipe." Starsong defended herself. "And... truth? My sister cut a mark on me... so I wouldn't forget her... her betrayal." She lifted her left forepaw. There was a star shape on it. "See?" She said.

Sulfurstar saw no reason to disbelief her. He sighed and after much thought said, "Fine, go. I do not wish to risk rebellion if you were taken wrongly. BUT-" He stopped. "I AM coming with you."


	4. Chapter 2

Starsong shrugged. "If I run into my sister then your presence would be good. I'll lead the way once we get past the border." She was alert, ready to run at the drop of a pan.

Sulfurstar nodded. No doubt his toms would protest and even try to kill her if he wasn't with her. She was a strong she-cat but he knew that his entire clan of toms could of killed her in a heartbeat. He wished this wasn't so. In fact, he never thought that he would admit it but he respected her and he wished that he could welcome her into his clan. "Well, I'll lead the way TO our border." He said.

Starsong grinned. "Go ahead." Her breath quickened as she thought about the clan that she had left behind.

Sulfurstar nodded. He took a deep breath and then stepped out. "This is the main hall." He whispered to her. All the toms, who, previous had been eating and playing stopped and there was dead silence for a few moments.

"SHES NOT WEARING A BLIND FOLD!" The silence was broken as one cat yowled. The entire room collapsed into frantic shrieks and caterwauls.

Sulfurstar grit his teeth. He had been expecting this. "Shes my mate." He lied.

The whole room fell into twists of 'huh' and 'what'? "Why did you not announce this?" One cat bowed to him.

"Oh, it was a split second decision." Sulfurstar said, pushing him away. "Now, if you will excuse me I have permitted her one quick look around the territory." Before any cat could speak he bounded out the cave entrance and into the forest, making sure Starsong was behind him.

Starsong was confused out of her mind. "I never knew that they were that worried about she-cats." She said softly. They reached the border. "Come on!" She yowled. She stopped to look over her shoulder. "Hurry!" She called to Sulphurstar.

"Its been our way for millenia," Sulfurstar explained. "Don't let it get to you. I'm a good cat underneath, you know." He bounded over as fast as lightning. From there he followed her.


	5. Chapter 3

Starsong ran into camp and saw Sunkit looking up at her. His eyes widened. "Starsong?" He asked. She nodded. "Oh Starsong! We've all missed you so much! Nothing is working here without you. A-and Silvertail came back and took Stonepelt so now we only have Firefur and Leafpelt to hunt." He told her.

Starsong felt a sharp pain in her chest as she saw that the kit was skinny and frail, looking exhausted. She hissed in rage at the new of her sister. "Wheres cloudkit?" She asked.

"Shes sick." Sunkit said sadly.

"Oh no. And what about my father Stormstar?" She asked.

Sunkit looked down. "He caught green cough and lost a life. Now he only has one." Sunkit said. "And he's sick again."

"Oh Sunkit, it'll be alright now. Wheres-" She broke off as a ginger she-cat bowled her over.

"Don't you dare do that again! Where did you go? I missed you." The cat was crying now.

"Firefur?" Starsong asked.

The cat nodded. "Hey, everyone! Its Starsong!" Instantly other cats appeared, all frail looking. A dark tabby she-cat with a white kit at her paws padded over and licked her pelt, murmuring words of greeting and news. The white kit rubbed against StarSong, and soon all of the cats were rubbing against her.

Sulfurstar stayed silent. He knew it was only a matter of time before they noticed him. He was extremely curious- and a bit confused- about why there were she-cats out in the open here. He knew no other way but his own and he knew that this clan would think him and his clan monsters if they knew that they kept their she-cats enslaved, so he decided not to mention it.

"Who's that?" Firefur asked, a bit suspicious as she looked at Sulfurstar.

Starsong flinched. "This is... Sulfur." She said. She told her clanmates nothing more.

"Hello, daughter." A voice croaked.

Starsong spun around to see er father, Stormstar with his ribs showing and one eye closed, limping towards her. "Father?" She asked, barely daring to believe that the weak, frail cat before her was her once strong, proud father.

"The very one." He said.

"I can't believe this." She hissed under her breath. "This was all started because some no good Tom invited the dark forest cats over to play." She saw that her father was glaring at her slightly. "Not all are like that. I accept that. We are all equal." She wanted Sulfurstar to hear her, knowing that even though her clan was gone she didn't bare a grudge against toms.

Sulfurstar nodded to her and then looked at the other cats. "I am Sulfurtail." He lied about his status, not wishing to be asked what clan he was leader of.

Starsong looked surprised, but shrugged it off. Stormstar fell suddenly. "Listen... Starsong... Your name is actually Songbreeze... your mother was Starsong and when she died I renamed you after her. Now... I'm going to join her... In Starclan. You were deputy before you left... And now... you're going to be leader." He coughed and his breathing was becoming shallow and irregular.

"No! No, it's going to be fine." Starsong soothed.

"You will be a great leader, Songstar." He said as he took his last breath.

Songbreeze sat down quickly. "What just happened?"

Sulfurstar slumped and looked sympathetically at the grieving she-cat. He said nothing. It was too early.

Songbreeze straightened and turned to him. "I have to talk with him." She said to the rest of her clan, looking at Sulfurstar. "Come with me." She said, padding into her new den.

"Yes?" Murmured Sulfurstar.

"W-what are you going to do now?" Songbreeze asked. "I thank you for taking me here, but where are you going to go?"

"Back home. I'll tell my clan that you were caught by a badger or something." he said. "i hope that some day she-cats and toms can live freely together in my clan, but for now things are better off how they are." He sighed. "They aren't ready." He explained further, incase Songbreeze protested. "I'll see you," he said. "I don't like long goodbyes."

"Maybe." Songbreeze smiled. "Listen... I was wondering. Could you take Sunkit with you? He's a tom, so he should be fine. With the proper training and food, he will be stronger then you will ever know." She said. "I don't know what to do, Sulfurstar! I'm leader now, but everything is just... The clan has fallen apart. It's not even a clan anymore. I would ask if we could come to Tomclan but the she-cats..." She trailed off.

Sulfurstar looked concerned. "Do you realize what consequences that would have? Your kit would grow up thinking all she-cats are his play things. Even if he did see you again there is no guarantee he'd recognize or even care about you. Don't say he always will. I've taken kits in before. Given the queen the benefit of the doubt. It happens every time. But your right," he sighed. "Sunkit... would be a lot safer at our camp. No offence." He added. "He would have food... shelter... good training... and a loving family."

"Do it." Songbreeze turned away. "As long as he is safe, that's all that matters. She put her head down. "I just wish... This never would have happened. That my sister had never done this."

Sulfurstar looked down, frowned and bit his lip. He said nothing for a moment, grieving alongside her and then looked up. "Goodbye." He whispered. Then he bolted out the door, grabbed Sunkit and ran.


	6. Chapter 4

"Ah, Sulfurstar." One of the cats greeted him when he arrived back. "Where is your mate?"

"She died..." Sulfurstar mumbled. "Got taken by a fox. You know how fragile she-cats are. I should never have taken her out."

The cat nodded. "I am sorry. Where'd the kit come from?" He asked suspiciously.

"She gave birth. She was... 9 months pregnant when we mated." Lied Sulfurstar. It was a stretch, but still.

"Oh." The cat didn't question him further. "Do you know who the father is?"

Sulfurstar shook his head. "Nope." He said.

"Ah, then I guess he's yours. What is his name?"

"Sunkit." Sulfurstar replied.

"Sunkit."


	7. Chapter 5

Liongaze watched Lilacpool closely, his eyes gleaming. Then he looked around at the other she-cats. Good, they're all at work... He thought. He nodded briefly and padded back to the main cave.

Lilacpool could feel a tom watching her, but she was used to it. Probably Liongaze, she thought. He was the one who defended me as a kit. She shrugged and dug up more clumps.

Lilacpool's weight shifted from one side to the other, she was starting to feel numb and exhausted from work. She dug up dirt quicker, her white pelt gleaming like the moon when it was full.

Sulfurstar had come to check on the she-cats. After his little adventure, he really needed to feel the warmth of a she-cats body. Just a cuddle, nothing intimate and maybe they could groom each others fur.

Liongaze nodded briefly to Sulfurstar. "The peasants are working." He said.

Lilacpool rolled her shoulders, hoping no cat would mind if she took a break. After all, there were plenty of she-cats to carry on such a task. She stretched and shook her paws, loving the rest after the hard day of work.

Sulfurstar couldn't have cared less, but he needed her. "I need you for something, Lilacpool." He called to her. He went and got her. "Put this blind fold on until we get to my den. Its needed of all she-cats, not just you."

"Alright..." Lilacpool mewoed uncertainly as Sulfurstar pulled a blindfold around her head. "Now what?" She kneaded the ground with her paws, unsure which way would lead left and which would lead right.

"Follow me," Sulfurstar told her. "You shall smell me. She-cats have better smell then toms."

Lilacpool nodded and gingerly stuck her nose into the air, following his scent trail. She paused every once in a while if she lost the scent, but would quickly be on her way again.

Sulfurstar led her into his den. "You may take your blind fold off." He said gently.

Lilacpool carefully took her blindfold off and blinked as she stared around the den.

"Lets lie down." Sulfurstar said to her.

Lilacpool nodded nervously. I know where this is headed... she thought as she lay down.

"Its... just a cuddle. Nothing more." Sulfurstar reassured her. He wrapped his tail around her.

Relief flooded through Lilacpool and she let his tail wrap around her. "Do you mind if I groom myself first?" She asked.

Sulfurstar shook his head. "Go ahead. I groomed myself earlier this morning."

Lilacpool grimaced at the thought of licking dirt but she did it anyway, knowing no cat would care since she was a 'slave'. She bent forward a little bit and rasped her tongue over her flank.

Somewhere inbetween Sulfurstar joined in, helping her clean her pelt. He squashed closer to her and wrapped his tail around her tighter. "Thanks." Lilacpool meowed between licks.

"Thats alright." Sulfurstar said. He was just enjoying her warmth. After a while he stopped licking her pelt and curled up in the large nest. It was nostalgic. Special to him, in a way and as he began to go to sleep next to Lilacpool, he remembered Songbreeze and smiled sadly.

Lilacpool rested her head, her tail resting over her nose. She didn't know if this was all a trick or if he really did like her. She shrugged. Knowing she wasn't used to sleep, she stayed awake.

"You should try and sleep..." He mumbled in his sleep partially. "You probably don't get much in your... den. Make the most of it..." He broke off, fading into complete sleep.

"Alright..." Lilacpool meowed and closed her eyes. She had never felt so comfortable with a tom before. She pressed her muzzle to his neck. "Thanks for everything..." She meowed ever so quietly.

Sulfurstar smiled in his sleep. Your welcome, he thought. This cat reminded him of Songbreeze.


	8. Chapter 6

Starsong looked out after Sulfurstar. "Goodbye, Sunkit." She whispered. She padded outside. "Sunkit when to Sulfurheart's clan. He will be well looked after." She said. No one asked questions. "Tonight I am going to receive my lives. I will leave now. Don't fear, I'll be back before you know it." She said reassuringly. She padded off, going to the moonstone.

Shortly after, she arrived. Starsong lay on her belly and touched her nose to the moonstone. "I am Songbreeze..." She murmured before the dreams claimed her. She woke up and was in a grassy field, staring at some Warriors who had stars on their pelts and in their eyes.

"Hello Songbreeze." One approached her. "We will give you your leader name and lives."

She stared at the Starclan cat. "Yes..." Songbreeze murmured. "I am ready." For some reason her thoughts drifted to Sulfurstar and Sunkit. She shoved them from her mind. Sunkit is none of your concern. By the time he is an apprentice he will hate you. A cold voice whispered in her head. She dipped her head to the warrior, realising that Sunkit would not be the kind, caring little kit she had looked upon as her own brother, but would change. She stared the Starclan cat straight in the eyes. "I'm ready." She repeated.

There was a blinding light and then Stormstar came forward. "Hello darling." He touched his nose to her forehead and all his experiences rolled through her, granting her the first life.

Songbreeze hissed and dug her claws in. "Father..." She murmured. She felt all his grief and pain at her leaving, at his clan turning against each other. "I will be strong." She promised him.

The leader smiled lovingly and stepped back. Then her mother stepped forward. "Not a day goes by when I don't miss you." She said. She had tears in her eyes as she bent down and touched her nose to her forehead.

She almost yowled in pain. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. She looked up at her mother. "I miss you." She said. "I wish... that silvertail hadn't killed you."

"I know dear. I know." The real Starsong murmured. She stepped back.

Songbreeze noticed the other cats from her clan and tears came to her eyes when she saw Lionkit, the kit that had been ruthlessly murdered. This kit stepped forward. The poor thing had never learnt to speak, but its smile said it all. It put its tiny nose to Songbreeze's forehead and a life on innocence and playfulness drowned by blood flowed through Songbreeze. She dug her claws into the earth. "Lionkit..." She murmured. "I'm sorry... I should have tried harder to save you..."

The kit shook his head. He hadn't held anything against her and he still didn't. Goldfur stepped forward and pressed his muzzle to Songbreeze's forehead next. And then Smokepelt and the two elders, each with their own tragic memories and experiences.

Songbreeze felt weak and painful all over. "Songstar..." She murmured. She gazed at her dead clan-mates. "Be happy." She said. She woke up, just in time to see a silver pelt dash past mother mouth.

"Silvertail!" She yowled. She charged out of moonstone and chased after her sister. She was so fixed on catching her that she didn't realise that she was in Tomclan territory again. She chased Silvertail to the entrance of the clan and pinned her down, her gifts aiding her. "How could you? You killed them. An innocent who hadn't even spoken his first word. Our mother and father- dead. You betrayed us!" She hissed. "I am Songstar, leader of Sunclan!"

"No! You're the leader? That damned clan is still alive?" Silvertail spat angrily. "I wanted that clan to die!" She yowled.

"Well too bad. They are already getting stronger." Songstar spat back.

"Come get her!" The silver she-cat yowled. Suddenly Songstar was yanked off her by none other then Deadheart, the treacherous deputy. Songstar hissed and clawed at him. "Have you forgotten our brothers?" Silvertail asked mockingly. "Swiftleg, Jayflight, come here." She said to them.

Songstar went limp when she saw the traitors lined up together, with the exception of the last warrior. She knew it would be strange to call for help, but she needed it. This is for the clan, she thought. "Help!" She yowled. "Help, anyone?"

"Shut up!" Deadheart hissed, slashing her flank. He kicked her. "Get up. Don't make a racket." He clawed her again.

Songstar got to her feet. She saw Sunkit padding around. He looked at her, then Deadheart and then back again and then ran off to the camp to look for Sulfurstar, the only cat he knew from Tomclan. "Sulfurstar!" He yowled.

"Now look what you've done you idiot!" Deadheart spat, grabbing her by the scruff and shaking her back and forth.

Sulfurstar was sleeping peacefully with Lilacpool when Sunkit burst into the leaders den. Sulfurstar groaned and gradually sat up, stretching. And... he thought he was in love with this cat. "Yes?" He murmured calmly. He looked curiously down at the kit.

"I-I'ts Starsong! Deadheart... t-their previous deputy... he was attacking her. And then there was Silvertail... I-I think they're going to kill her." Sunkit began to cry. "She always said that the traitors would come back."

Sulfurstar looked back at the sleeping Lilacpool guiltily. Why now? He shook his head. He couldn't think like that. This was a life for Starclan's sake. Of a friend. "What? Where? And whos... Dang... Dirt... Dart... Darkheart?" He shook his head again. "You know what, never mind. Lead the way." He quickly ran after him.

"The deputy!" Sunkit hissed again. His eyes were slits. He raced off only to find Songstar writhing in the ground, Silvertail standing over her with blood dripping from her claws and Deadheart smirking beside her.

"9 lives, eh? Well, you're going to lose them, one life at a time." Silvertail spat, grabbing Songstar. "Now... where to begin..." She unsheathed her claws and let them rest against Songstar's chest. "Hm... I think here..."

"Do it again!" DeathHeart meowed. "Look, there's even more blood." He stated happily.

"You leave my sister alone!" Sunkit spat, jumping out at them.

Sulfurstar burst in after Sunkit. "Get your mangy dark forest paws off her her!" He wailed. He leapt at Silvertail angrily and tried to pin her down. "Your not immortal on the earth and on top of that, its you vs two leaders plus a kit. If you die, you vanish. That's 18 times you need to kill. Do you want to risk it?" He pointed out.

Silvertail had a maniac glint in her eyes, she looked crazy. "I need to kill her. The clan can't survive. You think that you can stop us?" She laughed manically and hysterically.

Deadheart shrugged and grabbed Songstar. "Don't, or she gets it." He warned, holding his claws to her neck. "What a beautiful little cat... Too bad she has to go." He hissed.

"You take away one life." Sulfurstar shrugged. "I kill your friend in one go. Then I kill you. It all works out in the end. You betrayed her. And now your going to pay, you sons of *****s."

Deadheart smiled. "Silvertail can die for all I care. The brat actually trusted you? You must have grown on her. She would never give her seret away about the clan. Shes not one to ask for help." Deadheart smirked. He looked down in shock. Songstar was glowing, so he took a step back. She jumped to her feet.

"I lost my first life, Deadheart. Now I am ready for you." She lunged at him and took him by surprise. She killed him swiftly and whirled onto her sister. "You betrayed me!" She yowled. "You betrayed the clan!"

Sulfurstar grit his teeth at Deadheart's corpse. "For your information, I chose to help her." He snarled. He ran to help Songstar and together the two of them finished Silvertail off.

"This isn't your fight." Songbreeze said softly. She looked at her dead sister and previous deputy. "Why did you help? Last time I checked we were enemies." She laughed softly. "Hey Sunkit. She greeted.

He leapt on her again. "Don't again! Your my sister." He mewoed. Songstar laughed, lying down.

Sulfurstar smiled. "Sunkit told me you were in trouble." He said. "He is a very brave kit."

"Right." Songbreeze said. She looked back at Sunkit. "You're so much like your brother." She murmured. "I should go. Before I outstay my welcome." She nodded to him, cast a look of disgust at the dead cats and began to pad away, her head down.

Sulfurstar nodded to her and cradled Sunkit away. "Your sister is very brave." He told him. "Never forget her."


	9. Chapter 7

"Why did I have to come here?" Sunkit asked. "And why are cats like my sister locked up?" He was confused out of his mind. "I feel sorry for them. Did they kill someone, like Silvertail?" He asked. "Are they evil?" He came up with more and more questions.

"Its... Complicated." Sulfurstar said to him. "I'll tell you as we walk if you'd like."

Sunkit nodded.

Sulfurstar took a deep breath. "Ok. So long ago, when Starclan made the clans they made She-clan. It was ruled entirely by she-cats, who pushed the toms around and made then do even worse work then we make ours do. They chained them to boulders the size of twoleg nests and had them haul them around for weeks on end in the boiling sun. Those she-cats didn't fight or hunt- the toms had to do THAT too. All the she cats did was choose a tom to reproduce every once in a while and eat the food that WE caught. Then one day, we rebelled. The Toms escaped their prison, broke their chains and struck down on the she-cats, enslaving them. But we showed them honor and strength. We gave them easier work and work as hard as they do- all we did is balance and reverse the clan a little. Either way, she-cats aren't bad, Sunkit. Your sister is not bad. But those under our command who do not listen to us must be punished. We cannot have she-cats rebelling for the sake of the clan." Sulfurstar explained. They arrived back at camp.

Lilacpool was in his den, where he had left her. "Where did you go?" She asked.

"Something happened." Sulfurstar sad guiltily. He walked her back to the chamber. "We have installed nests in the she-cat pit. You are also now free to dig out your chamber to any size you like. Tell the other she-cats." Lilacpool nodded gratefully and got to work right away.


	10. Chapter 8

Sunkit stood, staring into the distance. He couldn't believe that she-cats had been that evil. He shuddered as he thought of the dead Silvertail. He wondered how Songstar was, but paded back to camp. When he arrived he saw she-cats in their pit digging, so he joined them. It took the kits mind off his old clan. He padded over to Rainstorm and looked up at her. "Are we almost done?" He asked. He swatted at the she-cats tail and purred. "I'm Sunkit." he said. "Who are you?"

Riversong heard the unfamiliar voice of a kit and jumped. A kit tom was in their chamber. How had he gotten there? Were the toms training kits to hurt her too? She felt like crying. After all, she had been beaten and blinded by them.

Sunkit could see she was sad. "Don't be sad." He said. "I don't like it when cats are sad. Unless they're bad cats. Like Silvertail and Deadheart." The kit shuddered. "My sister killed Silvertail. She's a good cat, Sulfurstar told me. Not like the evil cats that start battles." he babbled. He was still a kit, so full of life and bursting with energy.

Riversong located Sunkit with her jumbled hearing and gave him the tiniest smile. She never spoke, however so she flicked her tail as if saying, 'would you like to come dig with me, little kit?'

"Are we still digging?" Sunkit asked. He copied the she-cat. "Like this?" He sighed suddenly. "I miss my brother and mother..." He said softly. "I wonder how they are."

Riversong couldn't see what the kit was doing so she just frowned and shrugged. She gestured her tail tip towards her glassy blind eyes and smiled sympathetically. She put her tail on his shoulder. She too had lost family under hard circumstances.

Sunkit brightened up. "Wait a moment..." He said. "You're blind? Then why do they keep you here? You shouldn't be working." He said. For some reason he felt as though he instinctively knew what the she-cat was trying to say, without her having to say anything.

Riversong did a mute sigh and looked sadly down at her paws. It wasn't a subject she liked talking about. She played out what had happened to herself, raking her claws along her flank and face.

Sunkit's eyes were wide and he was almost crying. "Thats horrible!" He exclaimed. He didn't know what to think. He sympathised with the toms, but to him what they were doing to the she-cats was awful! "That's so... cruel." He whispered.

Riversong put her tail over her flank, mutely sighed and pawed the ground. It was a gesture that meant, 'I'm sorry... I shouldn't have told you. Your right... it IS horrible."

"Why can't it be like my old clan?" He muttered. "But I don't want there to be any evil cats like Silvertail and Deadheart! There should be more cats like my sister." He meowed to Rainstorm and Riversong. "I'll be your friend. You can be my sister."

Riversong got back to digging. It shocked her to the core but she realised... for the first time in years, she felt happy and a full fledged beam spread across her face as she listened to the sound of Sunkit's tiny paws claws at the rock and dirt.


	11. Chapter 9

Songstar nudged Firefur. "Come on." She mewed softly. "Don't let some sickness beat you." Firefur shuddered and went limp. "No!" Songstar yowled.

The new medicine cat, Stoneheart hurried in. "Stoneheart is dead as well and Leafpool is almost..." He meowed sadly. "Listen, Songstar... I'm going to a new Clan and I'm taking Leafpool with me. But Cloudkit will want to stay. Theres nothing left." He dipped his head and padded away, not looking back.

Songstar gazed around miserably. Green cough had suddenly struck their clan and even Songstar had lost her second life. "There's no one left." She murmured, looking down at the small white tabby kit.

Cloudkit stared back up at her, his blue eyes sad. "No one?" He repeated.

"No one." SongStar replied.


	12. Chapter 10

"I must keep going... gotta find the others... " Sombre growled at herself, limping. She had tried to save her mate from a monster and her leg was badly hurt as a result. She was losing a lot of blood, making a trail.

Sombre put too much pressure on hr broken leg and yowled. It felt like it had been run over two more times. She got back up and limped up to a camp. Please by Darknessclan... she thought, but when she looked around Sombre did not see anyone from her clan.

Sombre blindly hissed. She was in the middle of the camp now and all eyes were on her. "Back off!" She growled. Her fur was muddy and full of brambles, twigs and grass. She had not had time to clean herself or her wound- she was too busy looking for her clan.

"Who are you to speak, She-cat?" There was silence for a bit and then a tom named Malice stepped forward.

"Yeah." Others joined in. "Where'd you come from? A SLAVE camp?" The entire camp broke into laughter. Sulfurstar could hear the ruckus from his den.

"Who's territory do you think your on?" Another said.

Sombre ignored the toms. She saw a few she-cats in the darkness. "Will you take me to your leader you stupid toms? Or do we have to do it the hard way?" She said, sitting awkwardly.

"Your one SHE-CAT against a clan of toms. What do you say we throw her in the pit?" Malice suggested.

They grinned to each other. "Yep." Legendgaze piped in.

Throwing a cat in the pit did not require leader permission. The leader just needed to be told to avoid confusion, but that could be done afterwards.

Sunkit padded out. "Whats happening?" The kit asked. "Is it an evil cat, like the dark forest cats?" He trembled.

One of the toms ruffled the cats head with a large, heavy paw. "Nah, don't worry lil' kit. Its just your average she-cat. But she might be. We don't really know yet." He purred. "Why don't you go back inside? We'll tell you later."

Sunkit nodded and shot the strange she cat a suspicious glare. She could be like Silvertail... he thought.

"Throw me into the pit, fine but are you too scared?" Sombre grinned weakly. She was still able to fight but not for too long. She flicked her tail waiting for the toms to try and throw her in the pit.

Legendgaze snorted. No, we just like watching you suffer, he thought. Well he didn't really but he didn't approve of the she-cat acting like she had a chance. They really did like watching she-cats suffer. They didn't care about what happened to the females as long as they learnt their lesson.

"Pit then, have fun." He replied blankly. He was in the background of the other toms looking calm as ever. His white pelt also stuck out like a thorn bush in a flower patch- he was definitely noticed.

"I'm waiting..." Sombre sneered at the toms. They are gonna kiss my tail if they think I'm letting them enslave me... she thought.

"You are most likely going to die with the wounds you are revealing. Are you sure you want to take that risk?" Legendgaze asked. This she-cat amused him. There hadn't been one like that for a while. His white tail flicked in front of his paws as he waited for an answer.

"I bet you don't know what a 'mouse' is?" Sombre sneered. She found Legendgaze amusing also. She mocked the toms. "Oh no, I'm going into a pit. I can't manage!" She said dramatically. "Oh come on guys, you seem more like kittypets then warriors."

Sunkit padded over to one of the few she-cats, Carvedthroat. "Is she an evil cat?" He asked. "Is that why they put her in there? Because it doesn't make any sense. Why would they put her in there if she wasn't evil?" He dipped his head respectfully.

Sombre saw Sunkit. "Hello." She meowed. Finally there is some cat who understands! She thought.

Sunkit smiled at her. "Are you an evil cat?" He asked. "A dark forest cat, like Silvertail?"

"No... Why would I be evil?" Sombre purred softly to the kit.

"I thought that was the reason that they were going to throw you in the pit." Sunkit meowed, surprised. "I thought that was the reason that she-cats are kept there."

"Don't worry, I'm toying with them." Sombre whispered to him. "Oh my gosh what a nightmare! Just throw me in you pathetic toms!" She continued loudly.

Sunkit chuckled. "You are a funny cat. Why are you toying with them?" He purred.

Sombre smiled. "Because I think toms are funny. They get angry easily..." Sombre yelled out, "I bet kitty pets are stronger then you guys!"

Sunkit frowned. "Aren't I one?" He asked. He sat down and pounced on her tail, pretending to hunt. "Don't make them angry. Wait- did they hurt you?" He asked in disbelief, staring at her leg.

"No, I've been run over by a monster... and In my clan I swear I've met apprentices more powerful then these Toms. No offense, I don't mind you." Sombre smiled weakly.

Sulfurstar stepped out. "Whats going on out here?" He growled in a powerful voice. He'd heard everything. This was an ignorant, rude she-cat. She would come to regret her decision because HE, the leader who was at least three times her size would be happy to handle this himself.

"Hello." Sombre called calmly to the leader.

"Why do you come to this clan?" Sulfurstar growled. "As you can see, this is a clan for TOMS." He frowned. "And if you continue to call my warriors stupid, I WILL take action. Its not a threat, its not an excuse, I'm not even saying you won't fight back vigorously. I'm just saying: you come to the clan, hiss at us like WE are trespassers and mock us. You are CLEARLY not welcome here."

Sunkit bit his lip and then looked at Sombre. "He's right." The kit meowed. "But can she leave, be free?" He asked. Then the kits face lit up. "She could live with Songstar!" He he suggested, his ignorance of the Toms views of she-cats showing.

Sulfurstar went to stand beside Sunkit. He was still glaring judgingly at Sombre and not looking down at the kit. "Maybe. But she maybe a worse threat to the clan if she leaves." He said.

Sombre growled at the leader.

Sulfurstar's ears flicked and he flicked his tail, staring into her eyes territoriality. "If you really want to find your camp, turn back NOW. If not, attack me and get an entire clan tearing you to shreds, making you unable to ever find anything." Yep, he'd heard that part too.

"My clan is dead!" Sombre spat. "I have no one! I am the only one left!"

"Then," Sulfurstar said calmly. "There is no point wandering out here, disrupting the peace in my clan and then trying to take on all of us at once. Go."

"Are you stupid or do you not notice my broken leg? I can't go any where!" Sombre hissed.

Sulfurstar purred. "She-cats. Act calm but get angry the second a tom says a single word." He looked stern again. "GO." he repeated. "I couldn't care less about your leg. We cannot do anything for you. This is your last warning." He muttered with the same tone as before.

"No." This was the first time that Sombre had said that to a leader. She sat firmly on the ground. "Make me move!"

"Fine then." Sighed Sulfurstar. Have it your way. "Clan?" A swarm of hissing, spitting, writhing toms formed a thick circle of fury around her. Sulfurstar calmly made his way to the centre and sadly shook his head. "Your trapped now. You should have listened." He unsheathed his hooked claws. "You will come with me, or I will make you come."

"I have a present for you!" Sombre yowled. She kicked dirt at him.

"Wow, that reaaallly hurt." Mocked Sulfurstar. He didn't even flinch. "If you will not cooperate..." He sighed and dug his claws into mud. It had started to rain. "Attack me you damn she-cat!" The giant circle of toms yowled war cries.

Sombre yawned and rubbed her eyes. She brushed all the leaves and grass off her flank. "Your an ***hole!" She hissed, waiting for Sulfurstar to attack.

Sulfurstar shook his head. This would be easy. He leapt quickly, his bent haunches springing up. With his hind legs he kicked her in the face and raked his his hind claws down her back.

"Stop!" Sunkit growled. "Stop fighting Sulfurstar! You know you can't win." He looked more powerful and seemed to have grown taller, power flowing through him. "Let her be free. She can have more rights then the normal she-cat and we can take her in and heal her leg."

Sulfurstar blinked at Sunkit in curiousity. "O-okay..." He said without thinking. "L-lets do that then." The kit seemed to have changed completely. One second he had been weak and frightened, the next he was taking on the responsibilities of a leader and stopping the fight. It was a little scary.

Legendgaze's eyes sparked with interest and a small amount of anger. This clan is changing, he thought. Every tom knew that. He wasn't used to change and he walked away from the area. He could not handle this right now. He would have a talk to Sulfurstar later about this, but for now he just wanted to get it off his mind. This is not going to end well, he thought. She cats will rebel and they will think that they can have these rights as well. We have slaves for a reason. He paused in worry, looking at the slaves den and then turned and headed into the hangout where he rested.

Sulfurstar knew that he would have to be extra harsh on the she-cats if he went along with this. He would make them fortify the wall and maybe he'd even make something of a torture chamber for the cats like Sombre who were defiant enough to want to do anything. He knew other cats must have been worried about a rebellion and had been doubting him, but he knew that he would never let that happen.


	13. Chapter 11

Sombre dipped her hurt paw into the cool water. A piranha bit her paw and she jumped back 4 fox tails. She swiftly killed the piranha, glad that no tom had seen her getting hurt by a small fish.

Sulfurstar stood on the Ceremonial Tree-Stump near the back of the main hall. Sunkit had more then proven himself and he was nearing the age of apprenticeship, so it was time to make him a true member of Tomclan. "Toms, comrades, may all my strong warriors gather here below the stump to welcome the news that I must bring."

At the leaders call, all the toms moved in. "Hello my warriors. I have called you here today to welcome Sunkit as an apprentice to our clan." Sunkit's eyes lit up. "Sunkit, wil you come up here?"

The kit eagerly bounced up onto the tree stump and stood right beside his leader. "Sunkit, do you promise to work hard and obey your mentors and superiors at all costs?"

"I do." Sunkit mewed.

"And do you promise to fight for your life in a battle and to not do anything foolish that might risk your life unneedingly or others?" Sulfurstar continued.

"I do." Repeated Sunkit.

"Then I hereby welcome you as an apprentice of Tomclan. Three cheers for Sunkit everyone!"

The whole room broke into congratulations and cheers. I'm Sunpaw now, he thought proudly. Sunpaw.

Once all the ceremonial chit chat and congratulations had softened and Sunpaw had gone down to announce his success to the she-cats, he took a piece off prey off the pile and sat down to eat it. Life quickly returned to normal and toms seemed to forget that there had been a ceremony at all unless some other cat mentioned it.

Sunpaw shrugged and watched Sombre. What Sulfurstar said is true. She might be evil, he thought. After all, everyone trusted Silvertail and Deadheart.

Sulfurstar could tell how restless his clan was. He decided to dig out the torture chamber immediately. He went to a random spot along the cave where the wall was weaker and clinked his claws against the stone.

Sulfurstar, he knew that he couldn't ask the she-cats to do this. They'd attack him, for even they had their limits. He hadn't wanted to do this, but Sombre's sudden arrival had made him. He sighed and began to dig into the cave floor and wall, making an additional room.

Sunpaw padded over to Sulfurstar. "What are you making?" The young cat asked curiously. He put his paw on the dirt of the cave wall. "Need some help?"

"Sure. Its another room." Sulfurstar said, evading the subject. He wasn't going to tell any cat what this was until it was finished.

"Alright." Sunpaw meowed, beginning to dig alongside Sulfurstar. In no time at all, they had dug out a large room. But it still wasn't big enough. It had to be massive. Sunpaw was panting a bit. "Still more?" The apprentice meowed.

"A bit more." Sulfurstar confirmed. "You can stop if you'd like."

Sunkit shook his head, wanting to prove himself. "I'll be fine." He replied, carrying on with his task.

Sulfurstar nodded, impressed with the new apprentices devotion. They dug out a bit more and then Sulfurstar stopped Sunkit and himself. "We are done." He nodded to him.

Sunkit nodded. "Alright." He meowed, padding away.

Sulfurstar blocked up the entrance to the hole that he had Sunpaw had made at the main hall and dug a tunnel to the she-cat chamber. Now it was only reachable by the pit. He knew he'd have to station a few toms along the entrance, sure but it was worth it to show the she-cats that he wasn't as soft as they thought he was. The exciting part was reinforcing the room and adding... equipment. He got a bed of thorns and weaved them high, covering the entire ceiling and all the walls. The she-cats couldn't dig in any direction now.

The first 'contraption' Sulfurstar made was a thorn bed. He sorted some sharp, jagged thorns out and bundled them all together. He attached them to a string wrapped around the thorns on the wall and draped the other end of the string over the thorn bed, so that if a tom pulled it the bed would go up, closer and closer to the ceiling until the she-cat was harmed beneath two walls of thorn but not killed. He made a second one, a pit with thorns and water at the bottom and then a third, a fourth a fifth and more and more machines.

But... he still needed some cat to test it out.


	14. Chapter 12

"What are we going to do?" Cloudkit asked.

"I don't know." Songstar replied. "I truly do not know, Cloudkit."

Cloudkit looked down at his paws sadly. "Are we going to die too?" He asked.

Songstar frowned and wrapped her tail around him. "No." She reassured him. "No, we are going to be fine."

"B-but... W-what are we going to do?" Cloudkit asked. "I mean... We don't even have a clan. Are we going to have to become kitty pets? Or rogues?" He had had tears in his eyes now.

"No!" Starsong was stern. "I feel that if we can just find another clan to join, then we will be safe."

Cloudkit sniffed and look up at her. "B-but how?"

"The others have gone off to find another clan." She pointed out. There has to be another clan around, other then Tomclan. She grit her teeth. She couldn't bear the thought of being locked up again.

"Well... Okay. But where exactly do we go?" Cloudkit asked. "I'm hungry. Can we catch prey before going? Do we need to take travel herbs?" He kept coming up with more and more questions.

SongStar silenced him by gently putting her tail infront of his mouth. "Shh..." She quieted him humorously. "Wherever we think a clan might be, if you need too and if you don't want to get thoroughly exhausted, yes." She answered all his questions in one go.

"Okay then." Cloudkit said. "I just hope we don't have to become rogues." He made a face. "Or kittypets. I don't want to eat slop and pellets! Gross."

Songstar snorted. "Yes, it does sound gross doesn't it. But don't worry little kit, we'll be safe."

Cloudkit looked up at her with wide eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise."


	15. Chapter 13

***WARNING*: Despite being a still-mild chapter, there is a scene of torture in this chapter. (no one dies.) Weaker readers may want to skip this chapter. I have, however tried to make it as un-graphic as possible . :) ... Unlike some of my other books. owo**

* * *

Mossfern, one of Sulfurstars mates faithfully changed the bedding for her leader's nest. She was trusted and so left more of a free range. She dragged the old bedding out, expecting, no KNOWING that she would be challenged.

"Need some help, weakling?" One of the toms taunted Mossfern.

"Mossfern docilely dipped her head, but the glint in her eyes showed she was not happy. But she did know that they wouldn't attempt anything worse, because she was the leaders mate and it was against the clan rules. She dumped the moss outside the camp.

The tom sniggered and dragged it away for her. "More moss for my nest," he chuckled to himself.

"Mossfern..." The leader called softly. "Would you come here for a minute, please...?"

Mossfern padded forward, ears flat. "Y-yes?"

"I need you to come with me for a moment." Sulfurstar said. He began to lead the way to the torture chamber. Mossfern followed him. They entered the torture chamber. "This... is my new... room." He muttered.

Mossfern widened her eyes. She was shaking. "A-and... W-what...?"

"I need you to test these for me." Sulfurstar said coldly. He led her over to a contraption where two vines hung down from thorns. It was up pretty high and designed to break the cat's upper legs when they were hung from it. Even when broken, however the vines still had to snap and Sulfurstar wasn't sure but depending on weight he guessed this could take a while. "I'm going to tie these vines to your forepaws." He told her.

Mossfern bowed her head, though she was screaming on the inside. "O-of course."

Sulfurstar grabbed one vine in his mouth and tied it around one forepaw. Then he grabbed the other one and tied it around her other paw. He released both the vines and they shot up high and made her hang from the ceiling. Mossfern grit her teeth. He would not see her cry out in pain. She was strong. And that's why he had chosen her.

Sulfurstar stood emotionlessly, watching her.

Mossfern heard a snap and then another. The ingenuity of this machine was that it would be clean breaks and not shattered bone. The pain came in waves now.

Sulfurstar watched as the vines began to strain against Mossfern's weight. The contraption worked, alright. Under the stress of trying to hold the cat up, it snapped their bones. Then, unable to keep up any more the vines would snap. He knew it would only work on less heavy cats, but this was only for she-cats, however.

Sulfurstar left Mossfern to fall to the ground. "I need to check on some things." Mossfern sighed. It was over.

Sulfurstar returned shortly and stared coldly at his beaten mate. He dragged her off the stone and over to the next machine. "There ytou go." He said blankly. The truth was... he felt little to no emotion at what he was doing to her.


	16. Chapter 14

Tempestlight was bored. Silently, she padded out of the work ranch. She intended to leave this mad-house. Sulfurstar was acting crazier then usual and so were the other toms. Soon she reached the exit.

The second a tom saw her unsupervised they hissed and leapt at her. "SHE-CAT!" He yowled. Tonnes of toms moved to block the exits and rooms.

Tempestlight bared her fangs and flattened her ears. "Let me pass." She mewed with a calm voice.

The tom sniggered and pinned her down even more, digging his claws into the soft dirt to stop her from going. His giant muscles bulged and his large white fangs were dripping with blood and saliva. "Nope..." He growled and took a claw. "I'm gonna teach you a lesson you never forget. She-cats aren't welcome in the main hall!" He roared and slashed her across the face blindly.

Tempestlight winced in pain and then let her body relax before quickly standing and kicking her legs up in an attempt to dislodge him.

The tom sucked in his gut. "Nuh uh uh... Naughty kitty." The tom growled. He pushed her roughly to the ground again and this time dug his claws into her arms so that she couldn't stand up. He took a single claw and ran it down her belly. "Don't even think about it. If you go, some other tom will just pin you down."

Tempestlight flicked her tail and sighed heavily. "Fine- I give in." She mewed. "But may I know one thing? Why did you let Sombre stay like a TOM?" She asked.

"Take THAT up with Sulfurstar. He's the one that made that decision. None of US agree with it." He dug his claws in deeper. "Now you'll follow me or you know what'll happen."

Silently she shook the tom off and sat down. "Lead the way." She meowed flatly.

The tom led the way back to the she-cat den. He decided not to tell Sulfurstar unless she did it again. Angrily, Tempestlight walked over to a corner and slumped down in defeat. She raised her head to be slightly eye level with the tom and then shot him a look of utter disgust and hatred. The tom just laughed at her and left.


	17. Chapter 15

For the next few hours, Mossfern tested Sulfurstars 'machines' and then finally it was over. Sulfurstar noted how bruised, cut and bleeding she was. He knew that if she didn't have immediate medical attention that she would probably die. "Thank you." Was all he said as he left the room, coldly and indifferent. If she was still alive by midnight he would save her. Mossfern limped, dragged herself onto a softer patch and drifted into a fevered sleep.

Sulfurstar began to gather a few herbs that he would use on her if she was alive at midnight. He used some torn human clothing as a bandage.

"Your using the wrong herb. She needs poppy seeds!" Sombre growled.

"You don't even know what I'm using them for. And if you do, you really need to mind your own business. Like, really." Sulfurstar said matter of factly. "But thank you. I was considering poppy seeds but coltsfoot just seemed better. Or juniper..." He trailed off.

Like I'm a spy, Sombre thought. She rolled her eyes. Sulfurstar observed as something seemed to startle the she-cat outside and she ran off.

Sulfurstar paid no attention to her. This was one of the reasons that they kept she-cats as slaves. You said thank you to them and they didn't even give a mouse tail. He growled inwardly and gathered the rest of his herbs up.

Sulfurstar hunted until midnight, and then he slipped down to the cavern and dropped the herbs at Mossfern's paws. "Mossfern?" He called softly. He shrugged when there was no reply and dropped the herbs at her paws. He walked outside to check on the rest of his clan but... something felt wrong. It was quiet but he could hear... breathing.

"Your number came up!" A horrific Sombre, smiling like the 'Joker' ran towards Sulfurstar. "You can't touch me now...!"


	18. Chapter 16

Sombre sat down doing nothing. She was majorly bored. Tonight was the full moon and she had to go away from this clan if she didn't want to harm anyone. "Why shouldn't they face me in the full moon, for treating me like a slave?" She muttered.

Two toms came in. One was limping. The other was helping him along. They walked right by Sombre and went to another one of their friends. Sombre watched them for a little while and then saw Sulfurstar sorting through herbs next to her.

"Your using the wrong herb. She needs poppy seeds." Sombre growled. Based on the types of herbs that Sulfurstar was digging through, she guessed that he was looking for pain killers, for whatever reason.

"You don't even know what I'm using them for. And if you do, you really need to mind your own business. Like, realy." Sulfurstar said matter of factly.

Sombre glared at him. Its called a logical estimate, she thought to herself. Something you toms and your small brains couldn't possibly comprehend. "Like I'm a spy..." She rolled her eyes. Her eyes went to the entrance of camp and her heart skipped a beat. It was already dusk! Oh no! Sombre thought and she ran off. She had to get somewhere confined before the full moon.

Sombre sat down in her den, scared. Last time she had caused something wrong she had burned her clan's camp down- yes, she had destroyed her own clan!

Sombre curled up into a ball trying to not go in the moonlight but her hunger for blood drove her outside. As she saw the moonlight she shrunk and her fur became a light grey. She grinned. "Finally its done... Finally its done!" She said insanely.

Through her new, spinning world she saw a cat emerge from the she-cat pit. "Your number came up!" Sombre growled, smiling like the 'Joker'. She ran towards Sulfurstar. "You can't touch me now...!"

Sulfurstar looked at her with wide eyes and leapt over her nimbly. "Ok," he said. "You were rude before but this is just... Stupid."

"Sure, sure, why so serious? I mean you could be nicer, but your really stupid I mean-" she laughed crazily. "Seriously! You have no friends, NO FRIENDS! Maybe we should end it here by killing you-" she laughed again, her now green eyes glowing. "I warned you... Wait no, I DIDN'T!" Sombre unsheathed her claws.

Sulfurstar grinned and unsheathed his claws. "Well you know what they say," he hissed. "There's nothing better ridding a clan of the filfth."

"Exactly! Oh, that reminds me. I saw a rouge around here and she had yummy dead cats in her den. It looked cool!" She said flicking her tail back and forth. "Can you feel the sunshine?"

"Well, I just tortured my mate to near death." Sulfurstar grinned. "Now hold still, or I'll keep missing!" He swiped at her flank.

"You have about oooh... I don't know... One hundred mates? And no thanks, I'm a bit hyper." she jumped. "Now can you feel the sunshine?"

Sulfurstar snickered and began to walk away from her. "Okay then. You want to play it rough?" He called out for his clan. Toms poured groggily from their dens. A few ran when they saw the deranged cat but most trapped her loyally in a circle. "You may call me a cowered, but I call it protecting my clan." He hissed. "Get her."

"One on one match, you and me, now!" Sombre giggled.

"Sure then. My Toms will just be here to observe." He growled, emphasising the 'observe'. He leapt at her fast with claws outstretched and fangs beared for her chest and throat.

"I'm so happy! AHA! Happy go lucky me! I just go my way, living everyday!" She sang bouncing happily and dodging Sulfurstar's attacks. "I don't worry! Worrying don't agree, things that bother you, never bother me!"

"Right." Sulfurstar rolled his eyes.

"I'm right here to stay when I'm old and gray, I'll be in my prime! Living in the sunlight, loving in the moonlight, having a wonderful time!" She sang but as she saw the sun she changed back to normal. Sombre noticed all of the toms looking at her. "Please forgive me..." She whispered and then she trotted away into her den.

Jayrose smiled, thinking Sombre was the coolest cat here. She got up and stretched, then started to walk towards the camp entrance. "I am going hunting." She told the guards. "Send me an escort if you really believe I won't come back." She said, head high.

"Just go." The guard looked away. Cats of the clan were getting depressed. "Take sombre. Maybe you'll both get lost and never come back." He growled.


	19. Chapter 17

Malice stomped down the hall. He sneered at Sombre, now in her normal form and shoved her roughly against a wall. "So. A cat who can turn into a monster. How interesting. But I think you need to be taught a lesson." He unsheathed his claws. They flashed in the sunlight. They were razor sharp, long and arched and looked like long scalpel tips that had been bent smoothly into a curve. He ran a hooked claw down the she-cats belly. "This is going to be fun." He growled.

"Get the HECK out!" She yelled at him. "I'm SICK of having these toms just putting their noses in my life! I'd gladly kill you if you would stay there!" Sombre yowled, loud enough for any cat on the territory to hear.

Malice smirked and dug his claws into the stone. He had completely trapped her against the wall. His muscles bulged. "I don't think your in any position to make threats against me... now stay the heck still!" He slammed one paw down on her windpipe and slashed at her nose blindly.

"One more warning! Go away!" She growled. She was itching to rip his face off.

"Do what you can. I'm holding your paws down and your throat down. You can't bite me, claw me, kick me... what are you gonna do? Breath on me?" Malice taunted. He slashed her face again, taking a nick out of her ear.

"Bastard!" Sombre yelled. She slipped out of his grip but Malice kicked her against the wall and clawed at her just as soon as she did this. "You can't beat me. Your just a she-cat," he laughed. "You can kick me off, but I'll always be back."

"So whats the point of this? I don't understand." Sombre growled. "I'm soooo bored." She fake whined.

Malice smirked. "Your brave. I'll give you that. Then again you are a murderous bipolar FREAK." He laughed coldly.


	20. Chapter 18

Jayrose rolled her eyes at the guard. "Lost? Oh please. You wouldn't survive a moon without all of us. You might treat us like trash now but one day you'll see." She said happily and then she turned to find Sombre. She saw Malice trying to hurt her. She walked over and hooked her claws into his back. "Get off her." She said calmly.

Malice snarled and slashed his claws at her. Jayrose ducked. "Get off her..." She repeated. What was the point? Malice thought. He released Sombre and faced Jayrose. "What?" He snarled.

"You've had your fun, Malice. Me and Sombre are going hunting." She said, amusement flickering across her gaze. She turned back to Sombre. "If you want to go hunting, that is."

Malice smirked. "Do you have guard permission?" He asked.

"Yes, they did." Jayrose said in a fakely sugar coated voice.

"Fine." He grunted. He let her go. "Get lost. Literally. Run off with your girlfriend for all I care." He smirked as if he had made the funniest joke in the world. He frowned again. "But really. Scoot. Every Tom knows things are changing," he warned them. "And sooner or later, either one of our structures is gonna come crashing down."

"Yes they are changing," Jayrose agreed. "Maybe your joke skills will improve too." She said, playfully flicking him in the face with her tail. "Gosh, I love it when you can get a tom to back off." She said. "So, wanna go hunting then?" She asked Sombre.

"Sure." Sombre said. She got up and followed Jayrose.

Malice smirked looking at them go. You just wait, he thought. You'll see 'how my joke skills improve' when the toms are back in power and your behind iron claws, being stabbed in the neck over and over until you bleed to death!


	21. Chapter 19

Sombre walked away from Jayrose. She was ready to commit suicide. She looked for a good place to go to Starclan and then remembered death berries. She were a few next to her. She ate some and began to feel weaker and weaker. She breathed in her last gulp of air, and then her body was cold, deathly cold. She woke up in a beautiful place. "My life was not worth it down there, in that savage clan." She had tears in her eyes.

A large tom appeared behind the starclan cat. He was smirking at her. This was obviously an ancestor of Tomclan. "So, we are 'savage' are we? Don't worry, I'm not gonna swipe at you. We are starclan now, not tomclan and we all live as one. No smart remarks, I've been watching you and your a very defiant cat. Still, they gave you special rights. Commiting suicide like that.. well it does kind of show your weak. Think of the other she-cats. They are treated worse then you and you gave up, despite having a better life then them. Makes you sorta sick, doesn't it? I know it makes me sick."

"I did that because my mate is dead and my true clan is gone... I should have known that sooner but it is in the past..." Sombre murmured.

"Some of these mothers have lost their kits to toms, been abused and some are even beginning to be tortured. You might be selfish for commiting suicide but I agree with you on one thing- I still to my beliefs. Toms ARE superior to she-cats... BUT... They were never meant to hurt you like this." He frowned and circled her. "Come with me. Your clan would be in starclan, right?"

Sombre nodded, following the tom. In the distance she heard a cat call her name. "Did you hear that?" She said to the tom.

The tom nodded. "Yes." He said.

The voice got louder, and Sombre looked and saw her mate. "Thank goodness you are here, Blackeyes..." She purred. She nuzzled her mate for a bit before going back to the tom. "Okay, lets keep moving. But I really want to talk to Tomclan's leader Sulfurstar about something..."

"But you hate him." The tom said. he didn't ask who that had been. He knew blackeyes. He had known him for a few weeks now. "You want our current clan leader dead. You know you shouldn't. Hes generally a good cat, once you get to know him. And as for the torture chamber.. don't hate him for that. I'm sorry, don't attack me or growl at me for saying this, but that is YOUR fault. When you refused to go, she-cats began to rebel, so Sulfurstar built it to keep them under control... It won't work." He grit his teeth. "Your kind are still stronger then we thought. I know that now."

"I'm not going to do that silly," Sombre said, slightly teasing. "I need to show him something I was afraid to show him when I was alive... but it is sacred and he needs to know or else his clan will die." She said, not offended at all.

"Hm. Go on. I shall deliver it for you. They do not allow she-cats in their dreams. They'd think you were from the dark forest." He smirked.

"I'll go in his dreams.. I don't think a tom like you would like what i'm gonna say, and i'm not gonna insult him." Blackeyes sat next to her nodding.

He won't believe you," the tom warned. He stepped ahead of Sombre. "Trust me. I will come with you if you must go. And if I won't like it... you can tell me here. Then I won't be able to hurt you anyway." He was joking a little bit on the last sentence.

"Fine..." She said. Sombre waited for the tom.

The tom came up to her. "Now tell me. I am Silentsong, by the way. I am..." He looked down at his paws. "Riversong's father."

Sombre looked down at her paws. "Show me around the territory." She meowed. "Then I'll go into his dreams with you."


	22. Chapter 20

Emeraldgaze was escorted out of the den she was sleeping in by a tom, watching as the sun rose. Time for work... she thought. Was was always the first at the work ranch and the last back from it. She padded over to the work ranch, waiting patiently and began to groom her fur. As she stretched the muscle she had stood out and she gave a small yawn.

EmeraldHeart sighed in frustration. Theres no use in sitting around all day! She thought. Eventually a Tom padded out and nodded to her. "Get to work." He told her, opening the door of the work ranch.  
"Learnt not to push me this time, eh?" She asked, chuckling quietly as she began work. The Tom shook his head and watched her with a half amused, half impressed expression on his face.  
"Why do you work so hard?" He asked suddenly. EmeraldHeart didn't stop her work but shrugged.  
"It's my place. Besides, it keeps me from boredom. Better than fighting rogues any day, as I say." She replied simply, turning away. The Tom also shrugged and padded away to stand guard.

EmeraldHeart threw herself into her work, her jaw clenched as her muscles strained. She was getting stronger day by day, she knew it. She had no thought for rebellion, only self improvement, to be as strong as her brothers and father. Her green eyes were narrow slits and she was panting.

Riversong's hair prickled as a tom shouted at her to get moving. She followed him stiff leggedly across the work ranch and took her place beside Emeraldheart. She nodded to her and began to pull, while the toms shouted at them and dragged the large stones, panting and wheezing.

EmeraldHeart nodded to the she cat beside her her and pulled harder against the ropes and rocks. All she could see in front of her was her old clan, telling her to keep going.

The blind cat kept pulling. This was torture but she could sense things were going to change soon. Suddenly an inward wave of anger stopped her in her tracks. "Stupid toms..." She suddenly hissed under her breath. She had not spoken in years, and it shocked her. That little whisper, insignificant- it scared her that it came from her own jaws.

EmeraldHeart almost stopped. "RiverSong," she hissed under her breath. "What's the matter?" EmeraldHeart nudged RiverSong. "Here, let me." She whispered, taking over RiverSong's load. She gritted her teeth, and pulled harder.

Riversong jumped as she felt Emeraldheart duck infront of her and grab her boulder. "Thanks..." She whispered, and then she became mute again as a tom passed by. Riversong had been a rebellious kit, and thus she had been beaten. They had blinded her and terrified her to the core, to the point where she had become mute.

EmeraldHeart glanced at the Toms on duty. One was looking angry, looking as though he was about to yell at RiverSong, but another nudged him and jerked his head at EmeraldHeart. The Tom had a look of almost disbelief on his face, then turned away. EmeraldHeart ignored the exchange and grunted as the combined weight of boulders hit her.

EmeraldHeart turned to RiverSong. "Go." She whispered. "I'll cover for you. You shouldn't be doing this work, anyway." EmeraldHeart hid the smaller she cat with her body, to give RiverSong a chance to stop.

Riversong purred and her ie blue, glazy blind eyes stared thankfully at her. She ran quietly past and into the cave.

As always, EmeraldHeart was the last out of the work ranch. None of the toms had bothered to stay and watch her, so she decided to go hunting. They knew that she wouldn't try to escape. _I'll have to go back soon, or else they'll come and drag me back like last time..._ She thought. As she padded through the forest, she came across a familiar body. "Sombre!" She gasped. "She's-dead?!" EmeraldHeart shook her head. "I wasn't expecting anything like this..." EmeraldHeart gritted her teeth. Sombre was the reason most of the she cats were able to get to their paws on the morning. The white she cat had no idea why, but she just _knew._


	23. Chapter 21

Jayrose padded through the forest and smelled Sombre. She snuck through the forest, coming up to scare them. She got near enough, then, jumped through the bush. Her smile was wiped off her face, her eyes and mouth wide. "S-Sombre?" She managed. "Shes..." She trailed off. "Sombre? Sombre!" She started, prodding her with her paw. "Come on! Wake up! Sombre!" She was getting frantic. "Sombre?!" She said for the last time."This is all their fault!" She yelled. "If it wasn't for them..." She started muttering, racing back to camp. She shot through the entrance and barreled into Malice. "You think your so great! You wouldn't even be more then at most three cats right now if it wasn't for us! And yet, you still have the nerve. To pin down innocent she-cats and abuse and hurt them. To make us work all day while you lazy around. And you hardly give us a scrap of food! And now the best cat around here is dead! Sombre is gone and it is all the fault!" She hissed, eyes narrowed.

Malice smirked and raked his claws down the new she-cats side. "WE didn't do this. She CHOSE to kill herself, you know? Look around. No other she-cat has killed themselves. They CHOSE NOT to kill themselves. And its a good thing. She was threatening a rebellion. Now all we need is for YOU to go also."


	24. Chapter 22

***WARNING* This chapter, and chapters past it have darker themes then the rest of the book.**

* * *

Lilacpool knew about the tom, Malice and she thought him and Liongaze were probably best friends. She snorted and rolled her eyes and decided to get back to work. To pass the time, she told herself uncertainly.

Liongaze was on the baking, dried soil, his belly facing the sun as he watched the she-cats. He saw Lilacpool at the corner of his eye and rolled to his paws. "Hey, you! Where have you been? GET TO WORK!" He lumbered forward, ushering the small cat forward.

A deep growl erupted in Lilacpool's throat. "Leave me alone!**"** She snapped and picked up a pawful of dirt, her hackles rising and threatening to throw it at Liongaze.

Sulfurstar burst into the ranch just at that moment. He saw her with a lump of dirt in her paw and risen hackles and cocked his head coldly. "Lilacpool... will you... come with me please?" He asked. This was the official test. For the torture chamber.

She mumbled quietly,"Alright.." Her muscles loosened, allowing her hackles to drop. She threw the lump of earth down and padded toward Sulfurstar, her eyes seeming bright, though overshadowed.

"Good." Sulfurstar spoke nothing until they reached the she-den. He took her down and then parted the two set guards and went into the secretive torture room. "Look around this chamber for a second." He told her. "I have made this for disobedience."

Lilacpool saw small amounts of blood that hadn't been cleaned and she winced. "I-is it severe?**"** She said quietly, her voice cracking, for she barely ever talked. Sulfurstar didn't reply. The answer was obvious. The torture? Yes it was. The cause for the punishment? No. It didn't need to be. She scuffed the ground lamely."Whatever you have planned, I guess I have to stand it.." There was a quaver in her mew.

Sulfurstar still didn't reply. "Follow me." He repeated. He led her to a device. It was a bit like the vine contraption that broke bones, but two holes were dug into the ground for the feet. At the bottom of these holes was a long bunch of thorns. Sulfurstar tied the vines around her paws tightly and pushed her feet into the holes so that they dangled just above the thorns. He closed up the holes with wet but strong dirt so that she couldn't move her feet out of the way and grabbed a connected rope in his jaws. He didn't pull it yet. Lilacpool's gaze lowered to the wet dirt oozing onto her pelt, she didn't want to look up at Sulfurstar.

Lilacpool fidgeted restlessly, knowing her paws were only a whiskers-length away from the thorns at the bottom. Her gaze locked with his and she winced, feeling a tiny jab in her pad. She raised her injured paw slightly. The hardened dirt stopped her from escaping and Sulfurstar pulled down on the rope. The vines dropped lower and the thorns were now close enough to dig into Lilacpool's skin.

Lilacpool bit her lower lip to hold back a cry. She could feel blood trickling from the many cuts. Had he forgotten how she felt about him a couple dusk's ago? I thought he wasn't as bad... She thought.

Sulfurstar stopped. The device had only gone a quarter of what it could actually go, but it was just a warning. He retracted the device and cleared away the dirt. "Let that be a warning." He growled. "Do NOT snarl at my toms. You are just a she-cat. You don't have the authority."

"Y-yes..." Lilacpool whimpered. Her ears flattened as she looked at Sulfurstar.

Sulfurstar looked away. Things had changed in his clan. And so had he. He felt a little guilty for doing this to lilacpool... and mossfern... but Sombre... why? Why had she had to come? He could feel his sanity slipping. Why? This was all her fault. He was glad she was dead! She deserved it! He unsheathed his claws into the earth and with them he sliced the vines that held Lilacpool up. He didn't care any more. This clan was corrupt. A sadistic grin formed on his face. And he had to do something about it.


	25. Chapter 23

Lilacpool's face twisted into a grimace as she saw Sulphurstar turn, but he had cut the vines. The dried mud was caked all over her and she couldn't budge. Her eyes glared and she felt an explosion of strength in her, she unsheathed her claws and jabbed her paws to the side of her, loosening the mud so she could escape from the muddy tomb.

Sulfurstar could see Lilacpool had broken free. He stood still, however with the same sadistic smile on his face. "Go ahead. Kill me." He hissed coldly. It was hard to tell if he meant it or not. "My clan is a bunch of rotten bastards. Its either me- or them."

Lilacpool's legs were trembling; with unsheathed claws she meowed, "I can't...**"** She turned and sheathed her claws.

"Very well. I'll see you later." Sulfurstar stormed out. He had plans. Plans to slaughter every last cat in his corrupt clan.

Lilacpool padded out and staggered a little, she had forgotten all about the wounds. Cursing silently, she looked around wildly, blood staining the ground as she ignored the pain numbing her legs. Lilacpool broke into a run, her legs starting to throb now. Her wounds had widened, releasing more blood; but why care? She stopped halfway to the work ranch, breathless and in pain. Lilacpool staggered into the work ranch, her vision coming in and out of focus; she plopped down into her place and began scraping earth from under the sandy debris.

Sulfurstar had retreated to his room. He was pacing, sweating, laughing manically and thinking. He had to get rid of them all. There was no other way. Sombre had corrupted his clan, and now it had to be wiped clean. He'd take a few of his good cats- Sunpaw maybe and they could start again! Sure they could!

Sulfurstar's sadistic laughs reached a crescendo and he fell. His laughs stopped short and he curled, cringing up into a ball. His eyes shrunk and turned bloodshot and twitchy and he grabbed and hugged his lower paws, wrapping his tail around the ballshape. "Heheh..." He murmured. "Hahahaa..."


	26. Chapter 24

Emeraldheart was tired. She decided to sneak back to the she-cat den. Malice and Sulfurstar and another cat Cody were talking. EmeraldHeart sighed in relief when they didn't seem to notice her. As she backed away she stood on a twig that cracked loudly in half. _Stupid twig._ She thought. She hoped they hadn't heard the crack, but it had been really loud. _Stupid twig, stupid twig._ She thought again.

Malice glanced over her and glared at her. "Get back to work!" He roared angrily.

"Yea, get back to work." He said in response to Emeraldheart. What was she doing here? He wasn't too vicious towards she-cats compared to the others, but really wished Emeraldheart would leave for her own sake.

EmeraldHeart jumped. "Sombre is dead." She meowed without thinking. Her eyes widened. She was confused. She was no longer in control of herself. Her eyes almost became blue and when she spoke again, her voice was different. "I'd watch where you step, Malice." The voice that came out of her mouth was soft yet held an undertone of ice.

"Sombre?" Cody asked. This was a shock. "Who told you?**"** The brown tabby asked again. "Never mind that, why are you here?"

Malice snarled. "Hes gone crazy and hes done nothing to help the rebellions. She can do what she likes- but for her own sake I suggest she stays out of his dreams if she doesn't want to see what she made him." Every cat could hear Sulfurstar's manical, insane, loopy laughs. They knew he had lost his mind and it just made them want a new leader even more. The majority agreed with him however. They knew Sombre had done this.

Cody looked at everyone in shock. What was all this plotting? What was Malice up to? For the moment, he stayed quiet.


	27. Chapter 25

Mossfern stared at Sulfurstar from her nest next to his. They were in Sulfurstar's den, along with Lilacpool. It was strange. He had tortured her, hurt her but she still loved him.

Lilacpool was curled up in Sulfurstar's den, when suddenly she awoke to him laughing idiotically again. "Sulfurstar..." She said in her quiet silky voice, trying to soothe him.

Sulfurstar looked over at Lilacpool and a small smile spread across his face. "You. Did you really think I ever loved you? Fool!" He slashed a paw at her. Lilacpool flinched and pulled away as he cut her across the flank."Don't 'Sulfurstar' me! I don't love you!" He screamed. "I don't love either of you! I'D GLADLY TORTURE THE TWO OF YOU TO DEATH AND PULL YOUR INTESTINES OUT SLOWLY WITH ONE CLAW YOU STUPID CATS!"

Lilacpool staggered backwards in shock as his claws grazed her over her spine. She knew that he had loved her when he was sane, but... thanks to _Sombre_ he had lost his sanity. Her fur rose and she padded forward so she was face to face with Sulfurstar, a big risk. "Do whatever you want to me, I won't care.**"** Her eyes flashed with pain. Lilacpool's muscles tightened as she prepared for a blow, or for her sudden death. But, her eyes brightened and the pain left her eyes; they shone with bravery. "Give me your worst." She declared once again to Sulfurstar, sticking her muzzle out so it just barely touched his.

Sulfurstar's eyes flashed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? You don't want to be a slave any more, do you? YOU LAZY LITTLE IDIOT!" He swiped at her.

She flinched away but immediately kept at keeping the others safe; she had to distract him. "You think that stopped me?" She scoffed.

Sulfurstar smirked. "You act cold about it, but you know deep down your sad. You think I'm crazy. You all think I'm crazy. Well NO. YOUR the crazy ones! You spiral a web of corruption, conspiracies and lies and yet you think this is a good place to be? I'll kill every last one of you with my bear paws if you have to and rebuild this clan from a twig on the ground! And don't blame me if you start to grovel. Its all SOMBRES fault. And guess WHAT KITTY? SOMBRE IS A ******G SHE-CAT!"

"It's time to show you how she-cat's really are then!" She hissed, unsheathing her claws. She was on her last nerve, not afraid to kill the arrogant tom if she had to.

Sulfurstar tipped back his head and roared in laughter. A flash of lightning crashed outside, illuminating his head in the darkness of night and then rain began to fall. Your not even worth it. I don't care about you. I don't care about my clan. I don't care about any cat. And I'll either die, or them. So if you really want to protect this corrupt asylum and show how much of a little twit you are, go ahead. Attack me. I'm not even going to fight you. There's **NOTHING** to live for." He growled sadly.

Mossfern just watched her mate sadly. He was once the most powerful cat in the clan, and now...

Lilacpool sheathed her claws. Sulfurstar wasn't a bad cat. He was just out of his right mind at the moment. "Lets just go to sleep..." She told him. Neither cat protested as they curled into bed and closed their eyes.


	28. Chapter 26

Sulfurstar was rolled up in a ball, laughing manically. It was a dark forest, the trees were bear and a single beam of light shone on him, dark and creepily. He was sweating, his eyes were small and his teeth were pulled back into a small, vicious grin. He was dreaming, but where had he woken up into? He had not seen Sombre standing over him.

"Welcome to the rift between the dark forest and starclan. This is where you'd be trapped- a lonely, dark forest with a single beam of light in it if you died as you are, Sulfurstar. Sulfurstar... you were a great leader until you started torturing helpless she-cats." Sombre said. "I've got to show you something... Something you used to have..." She said and pawed his rib softly.

Sulfurstar shrieked when the paw brushed his hip and he jolted up and started backing away. His ears were flattened against his head and his smile had been replaced by grit, frowning teeth, his eyes wide and terrified. His fur bristled. "Y-you!" he growled, both scared and furious. "YOU are the cause of all this! Stay away!" He turned and ran, squealing like an apprentice in battle.

"Sulfurstar you see what I mean? You are now a STUPID, HELPLESS leader. I am disapointed in you..." Sombre said and grabbed the leader's paw, to a lake. "You see this? These clans are living in perfect harmony. She-cats and Toms, united.. The only thing you see is hatred of a gender."

Sulfurstar started to cry. "Go away! Get out of my head!" He spat. "Don't pin this on me! Don't you dare try! You did all this! I would never have made that torture chamber if it weren't for you! I hate you! I hate you all more then ever!" He ran again, faster then before. He HAD to get away from her.

"Shhh..." She mewed softly to him. "Its okay. You can blame me, I'm not in your life no more. You choose to think about me. You can change it... I'm not your problem now. I just want to help you." Sombre said in his ear.

Sulfurstar stopped. He sunk his claws into the ground and his eyes became slits. He grit his teeth and swung around. "! #? OFF!" He roared. He slashed at her, but his claws went right through her. He squealed and then sat down depressedly and stared into the darkened trees. "I just want this all to end. This life. This horrible clan. I hate it. I hate myself. I hate everyone in it..." He murmured, looking into a pool. He could see himself reflected. He looked horrible, but to him it was normal.

"You can always run... Step down as the leader and go live as a loner, have a new life."She said to him not angry about him trying to swipe her. Sombre flicked her tail to point to a lush forest full of prey and animals.

"And leave my clan as it is?" He growled. He was looking at the ground, his face encased in a dark shadow. He looked quite eerie, because of it. "They must die... they're all monsters... every last one of them. Every she-cat... every tom... every creature in this world... is rotten."

"Sulfurstar.. Pull yourself together. Its YOUR life not mine. YOU make your choices in life. I can reincarnate you into a kit, but you will forget EVERYTHING." Sombre meowed sitting next to him.

"I DON'T WANT TO FORGET EVERYTHING!" He shrieked. "I've changed, Sombre. And if you don't like me as I am now, too bad. I'll be reincarnated... but only when I've destroyed my clan once and for all!" He hissed. He grabbed at the threads of his dream and tore at them. "Now I'M waking up. LET ME GO!"

Sombre looked at him sadly as the dream began to fade. "Goodbye..." She whispered.

Sulfurstar slowly looked at Mossfern. He looked depressed. He trudged past her miserably and fell against the opposite side of the room. He hadn't left his den for a good week now and he was getting hungry and weak. Mossfern hurried out of the den and grabbed a rabbit. She dropped at his feet, scared.

Sulfurstar didn't even look at her. He looked at the rabbit and blinked, but made no effort to eat it. His eyelids were starting to shut. He was losing conciousness! Mossfern looked around wildly. She rushed off to get Malice. "I think theirs something wrong with Sulphurstar?"

"Eat the rabbit, Sulfurstar..." Sombre meowed next to him. He was the only cat who saw her.

Cody gasped in horror and ran up to Sulfurstar. The cat watched and wondered what would happen. "I think so too! He needs help quick!" The brown tabby said.

Jayrose rushed over. "We need a med cat!" She yelled. She absolutely hated Sulfurstar but, she couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

Sulfurstar looked weakly up at Sombre with large red and black bags under his eyes. They were blood shot and his fur was puffed up, but he collected enough strength and grabbed at the rabbits fur. "The sooner I lose of my nine painful lives the better." He growled softly to Sombre. She was the only one who heard him. "But what difference does it make?" He snugly fit his jaws around the rabbit's belly and hips but stopped there. He was too exhausted to make the bite.

Pitiful, Jayrose thought, but she felt a pang of sympathy for him. She walked over and ripped through the rabbit flesh until all the good meat was out in front of him in small soft chunks. "There." She said, her liquid blue eyes calming like watching a steady river and she spoke encouragingly.

Sulfurstar glared at her. "Why?" He growled weakly. "Why would YOU help me? Your all corrupt." Never the less he dragged himself over to one jagged chunk and began to chew it.

"Don't waste your energy talking or you'll die sooner." Sombre warned him.

Sulfurstar, however was too weak to swallow. He glared at his den one final time before he shut his eyes... and died.


	29. Chapter 27

"Why would you do that to yourself, Sulfurstar? It is pitiful." Sombre scolded him.

"Where am I?" Sulfurstar asked. "Why haven't I woken up?"

Sombre circled Sulfurstar. Her eyes were wide and sad. "Sulfurstar..." She began. She brushed her tail over his face and rested it on his shoulders. "That was your last life."

Sulfurstar's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. "What?" He snarled, raising his voice. "How could that be...?" He began to check off the lvies he had lost over the years. He had lost one in a battle, another one from a twoleg hunting gun, his third from drowning, his fourth was hazy but he thought he'd been killed by rogues, his fifth he had died of green cough, his sixth there had been a fox invasion, his seventh he had fallen down a pit on a particularly dangerous journey, his eighth he had died of green cough again and his ninth... well, here it was. "N-no..." He stammered, not wanted to believe it.

Sombre sighed and looked down at her paws sadly. "I've afraid its true." She mumbled. "You, Sulfurstar are dead and you will remain dead."

"S-so... where will I go?" Sulfurstar asked.

"Starclan has not yet decided. We must hold a meeting with the dark forest at the rift, which is where you WILL stay until we have come to an agreement." Sombre explained.

"I see... And how long will that take?" Sulfurstar asked. "And... I'm not insane anymore... so why do I have to go to this 'rift' anyway?" He asked.

Sombre sighed. "Starclan automatically takes away your killimg ailment when you die," she began. "That doesn't mean that you aren't insane. It just means you've been cured... In a way."

Sulfurstar shuddered at the thought but it was also sort of confusing. Was Sombre trying to tell him that he was both insane and not insane? He shrugged it off. "Okay then. So when is this held?" He asked.

Sombre nodded. "Good question. We will be holding it immediately. Come with me." Sulfurstar opened his mouth to protest but before he could Sulfurstar touched her nose to his forehead like an ancestor giving a cat nine lives but instead of life experiences there was a pleasant feeling of wind at the back of his head. The world seemed to twist and warp away in flashes of light and color and then they fell into the rift. "Sit." She barked at him.

Sulfurstar glared at her. Under normal circumstances he would of attacked her for ordering a tom- particularly him, a leader tom- around but this was Starclan and he knew that they all lived equally in death. "Fine." He grumbled. He sat down on the dirty ground.

There was a loud noise as two high bolders rose from the sand out of nowhere. One had a pitch black cat, wrapped in a demonic black mist with red eyes and bulging muscles standing atop it. The other, a beautiful white she-cat with ice blue eyes and black socks. She had a light grey stripe down her spine and a black tipped tail and ears.

"Darkstar and Lightstar, step forward." A high ranked spectator commanded. Both the leaders of their worlds walked up to the very tip of the bolder. A jury of either side leapt up. Sombre's clan and Riversong's father were amongst the Starclan cats and Deadheart and Silvertail were amongst the 'Place of No Stars' cats. "Will the cat in question please stand on the third boulder?"

At the cats words a smaller boulder- about half the size of the other boulders- rose up with a tall, steep stone ramp attached to it. Sulfurstar went up it and took his place without question. "We may now begin." Said the spectator. "Lightstar, will you go first?"

"Thank you, Crimsontail." The she-cat Lightstar had a smooth, clear and yet proud and regal tone to her voice. "This cat has done nothing wrong!" She hissed to the whole crowd. There were some defiant murmurs and unsure mutterings in the crowd that quickly silenced. "First off, is it really his fault- or ANY cats fault that he turned insane? Insanity is a loosing of the mind, so can it not be said that this cat was not acting as truly himself, but as some other cat?"

Darkstar chortled. He had a demonic, deep, loud ring to his voice. "Are you implying that one of my cats possessed this cat? Do not be a fool, Lightstar."

Lightstar narrowed her eyes until they were slits. "No, I am merely saying-

"No? I rest my case. So apparently, this cat WAS acting as himself, am I correct in saying that?" Darkstar said.

"No! What I mean is, look at him! Can this cat- this leader- even remember what he did? Doesn't that say anything to you? And for that matter, why are we judging him on why he went insane? Did he not torture Lilacpool and Mossfern BEFORE falling into complete insanity? Why don't we judge him on THAT and not the fact that he lost his mind?" Lightstar hissed.

Darkstar rolled his eyes. "You are then implying that he might have lost a portion of his mind and still been sentient, which completely contradicts your previous statement, Lightstar. Please think before speaking."

Lightstar grit her teeth but she knew Darkstar was right. "Fine..." She sighed. "I'm just about done. Just give me one or two more points, please." She looked down to Crimsontail. "If... thats okay with you, Crimsontail?" She asked.

Crimsontail nodded and looked at her. All the other cats from the two worlds looked at her also. "As I was saying," Lightstar continued, confident that she had all the cats complete attention. "He did most of the things he did when he was 100% insane and that is because he was put in a position- where yes, he was already turning insane, thus he probably wasn't completely sure of what he was doing at the time anyway- where he had to torture his mate. Why did he make this torture chamber? To stop rebellions. And if that isn't the sign of a sure, loyal leader, then I don't know what is, for he turned insane fearing his clan was corrupt." Lightstar bowed. "Thank you your honour, I am finished." She said.

Darkstar snorted. "That maybe so, Lightstar and you strike a good point but remember this- you are talking about a clan entirely ruled by toms. They beat and harm and force their cats to do manual labor!" He sniggered.

"Yes, but Starclan has observed Sulfurstar and he is nicer to the she-cats then most." Lightstar pointed out.

Darkstar shrugged. "Nonsense." He said calmly. "He has every authority to change the way his clan works, and he doesn't!"

"Why have we gone of subject?" Lightstar yowled. "How did we go from insanity to his personal flaws? Can you not see, Darkstar what you are doing here? The cat has done NOTHING wrong."

Darkstar snorted. "NOTHING wrong? He had a choice to make that torture chamber, Lightstar. And no, he was NOT insane when he coldly tortured Mossfern to near death! You claim he was in insanity in that point, but how? Did Sombre's plain arrival cause him to slowly SNAP?" Darkstar snarled. "Don't be so stupid, Lightstar. Commiting suicide- even through insanity is bad enough."

Lightstar and Darkstar looked into one anothers eyes, their gaze locking. Sombre cut between the tension. "Why not resurrect him?" She suggested. Both the cats looked at her. "If you bring him back as the age and cat he was before losing his sanity and dying, then maybe you could give him another chance?" She asked.

Lightstar stayed silent for a moment before saying, "Well... I guess it could work..."

Darkstar grunted uncertainly. "Oh for... Fine." He said. He hated to agree with STARCLAN but he had to admit, it was a good decision. "Ok. Bring him back." He said.

Sombre's eyes lit up and she prodded Sulfurstar with a paw. He looked at her. "Hm?" He said.

"They are bringing you back to life!" She hissed in his ear.

Sulfurstar smiled. "Memories? Age?"

"You'll be the same cat you were before. You'll have your memories and you won't start as a kit, but a fully grown cat, the age you were before dying!" Sombre said excitedly.

"Will I have my lives back?" Sulfurstar said happily.

"Yes you will! I'm sure Starclan will replenish them before you go." Sombre beamed and they were teleported to Starclan territory. All the dark forest cats vanished to the 'Place of No Stars'. "Its time for your resurrection ceremony."

"They have ceremonies for this?" Sulfurstar asked. He was quiet amused and interested.

Sombre nodded. "Yep, but I won't tell you anymore. Just sit and listen." She said.

"Sulfurstar." Lightstar said. She looked seriously and nobly at him. "We have failed to reach an agreement, thus you will be resurrected back to Tomclan as the cat you were before. May the life of Starclan flow through you." Every cat in the clearing repeated that, over and over again and still repeating the same monotone chant formed a tunnel to the leader.

"May the life of Starclan flow through you. May the life of Starclan flow through you." They chanted.

As Sulfurstar went through each one touched him with their nose and a little starry light appeared on his flank, all the way up until the leader. The chants softened a little and the leader pressed her nose to his forehead in front of all of Starclan and a brilliant light appeared, engulfing him. There was a strange humming and Sulfurstar's entire field of vision turned white. When he woke up, he couldn't remember anything about dying and he was confused as to why so many cats were standing around him. "W-what happened? Is something wrong?" He murmured.

"You died, Sulfurstar!" Jayrose grunted.

Sulfurstar frowned. "I did?"

Malice frowned at him suspiciously. "I thought that was your last life..." He said.

"It was then..." Sulfurstar said.

Jayrose gasped. "Starclan must have resurrected you!" She cried.

Sulfurstar frowned, shrugged and got to his feet. He let out an unsure laugh. "I'm not sure what happened, in all honesty but I guess that life goes back to normal."


	30. Chapter 28

SongStar nodded to the white apprentice and padded through the forest, making sure the white on her pelt was hidden by the charcoal she had put on, mixed with a tiny bit of water. Acting differently, no one would guess that it was her. And CloudPaw...Well, only SunPaw would recognise his brother. As she crossed the border, SongStar bowed her head. "Someday." She whispered. As she came closer to the camp, CloudPaw yowled in pain as a large, golden Tom with beady yellow eyes pinned him down. He looked up. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He went to unsheathe his claws, but SongStar leaped at him and pushed CloudPaw away. She ducked under the Tom and bit into his neck, holding on tightly. Proleium, for all his strength, couldn't outsmart her, and soon he lay limp on the ground, his life draining away.

"No one touches my brother." She hissed, and nudged CloudPaw to his feet. "Lets go!" She meowed.

"SongStar, where are we going?" The white apprentice asked. SongStar smiled.

"CloudPaw, from now on you will call me StarSong once more-or, Song, if you'd prefer." She whispered. "Keep your voice down." She added.

CloudPaw dipped his head. "Yes SongSt-StarSong." He replied. StarSong grinned.

"Now we're going to have a bit of fun." Starsong said.

"Is that why you covered up the white on your pelt?" CloudPaw asked.

"Well, I'm supposedly dead. We wouldn't want any of the toms going mad, do we?"

"I don't know. Do we?" CloudPaw put his head on one side.

"Yes, my friend. We do." And with that, StarSong padded silently into the camp, CloudPaw by her side.

A cat called Freedom crept outside the cave without anyone noticing. She ran into a coal black she cat, with eyes that looked very familiar.  
"Who are you?!" She asked. The black she cat smiled at her friend.

Someone you know, or once knew. Starsong thought. "I am...Song. Or Star, whichever you prefer." StarSong replied with a smile.

Understanding dawned on Freedom's face. "StarSong?!"

StarSong smiled at her friend, whose mouth was open in shock. "Though technically, my name is SongStar." She told Freedom.

Freedom's eyes widened even more. "No way! So your father...Died?" Freedom asked.

StarSong bowed her head, then looked up. "I need to see SulphurStar." She told Freedom, who then bit her lip.

"Starsong... uh... okay." Freedom replied quietly.

SunPaw thought he smelled a familiar scent, and padded out of the cave. He saw Freedom and raced over to her. "Freedom? Who's is this?" He asked.

"I'm CloudPaw." The white Tom answered for himself.

"CloudPaw? No way-my brother?!"

Lilacpool knew Sulfurstar remembered her, and she began to fidget. She couldn't hold still while thinking about him, he had been so nice to her... she hissed quietly and lashed her claws across the ground. Then he tortured me and went insane... h*ll... I'm probably losing MY sanity because of him!

Freedom waited for Starsong. Starsong followed her over to Sulfurstar. Sulfurstar was lying in bed, recovering from his death and resurrection. As soon as he smelled the familiar smell he jolted up. "S-songstar?" He stammered.

Starsong smiled. "Call me Song." She purred.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked.

"I need to tell you something." Starsong said. "So hear me out..."


End file.
